Doris, originally these farmhouses were built to store hay in the center until the roof and to have living quarters and stables around the hay stack. But nowadays the interior of this type of farmhouses (the design goes back to 1600!) has often been completely reconstructed.

Thank you, Peter. It would have kept all the occupants warm during the cold winter months... it's interesting to imagine in these industrial (and somewhat sterile) days that people in Europe once shared their indoor living space with farm animals.
Did the original houses have thatched roofs?